Rangers are in talks with Borna Barisic over a new deal but accept they are in a race against time to tie him down, according to Dean Jones.
The former Eurosport journalist provided the update on Barisic’s Ibrox future to GIVEMESPORT [10 December], with the left-back due to become a free agent at the end of the season.
While the Gers intend to tie the Croatia international down to fresh terms, European clubs could pounce in January ahead of a Bosman move in the summer of 2024.
“Obviously, there is uncertainty around the left-back position at the moment,” Jones said. “Barisic has been at the club for a long time now, and he has got a few clubs looking at his situation because he could sign a pre-contract with a club abroad in January.
“There have been a few mooted in that sense, so it is a situation to watch. But Rangers have begun the process of talking to him about an extension, and that began a couple of months back.
“You would be expecting that to progress pretty soon if there is going to be a good ending to it from a Rangers perspective.
“They need to try and make sure that the contract situation works out suitably, from their point of view, pretty soon because Rangers will need to be wondering what they will do by the time they get to the end of the season if they don’t get good indications that he is going to sign a new deal.”
Many Rangers fans will feel Barisic’s time at Ibrox has been up for a while, but losing him on a free contract would be a blow for the club.
The 31-year-old has been a good servant over the past five-and-a-half years since arriving from Croatian side Osijek for a small fee.
Rangers have more than got their money’s worth out of Barisic, yet the defender’s future now lies in his own hands ahead of the January window.
Should he not put pen to paper before 1 January, Rangers will surely be bracing themselves for news of a pre-contract being signed elsewhere.
That would not be the end of the world, but it would force the Light Blues back into the market when they would rather be strengthening elsewhere.
In an ideal scenario, Barisic will sign an 18-month extension at Ibrox with the view of potentially moving on in the summer for a small fee.
Either way, the situation will surely become a lot clearer over these next few weeks
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